Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; happy in loam soil and it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Alabama · Zones 7–9
Native Plants for Shade in Alabama
Woodland wildflowers, ferns, and groundcovers that thrive in the dappled and full shade under trees and on the north side of the house. Alabama sits in a landscape of Gulf Coastal Plain & Cumberland Plateau, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its hot, humid subtropical character. The list below — led by Oakleaf Hydrangea and Wild Columbine — is filtered to species genuinely native to Alabama and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9. Shade is an opportunity, not a problem — the eastern woodland flora is one of the richest in the world. Most shade natives evolved under a deciduous canopy, so they do their growing in cool, moist spring soil and want a yearly mulch of fallen leaves rather than bare, raked dirt. Match the depth of shade to the plant, and a bare patch under a maple becomes the loveliest part of the garden.
The plants
17 native species for Alabama
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; red & yellow flowers and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A woodland native that handles part to full shade, happy in loam soil and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, good through zone 8 and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, spreading 3–5 ft and it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, reaching 10–15 in, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, 1.5–2 ft wide — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — happy in clay and loam soil and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, foamy white flowers, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; cold-hardy to zone 3 and it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, for loam ground and it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, hidden maroon flowers, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; 6–12 ft tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, 6–12 in tall.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, good through zone 9.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Sourcing
Where to find these in Alabama
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.